THK VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 23 



Glenmaggie, eight miles from Heyfield, is rich in the surrounding 

 river flats and cappings of old basalt on the hills above. Near it 

 we entered on the Upper Silurian and more hilly country. Here 

 we parted with our friends, and crossed the Glenmaggie Creek, 

 more attracted by the big hills we could now see in the distance, 

 than by the rather pretty little township. A big black snake lay 

 across our road, which was broad enough to afford us glimpses of 

 Biddy's peculiar style of tacking. After crossing another creek, 

 our road lay along a long Silurian ridge, with occasional overlying 

 tracts of basalt, which runs parallel to the Macallister River at a 

 distance of one to two miles, and which culminates about a dozen 

 miles to the north in the steep Blanket Hill. The contrast of the 

 hard, yellow, bare Silurian and the soft, black, well-grassed 

 basaltic soil appealed to the hoof as well as to the eye. The next 

 hillside on our left presented a study in Eucalyptus foliage, the 

 bright green leafage of the vStringybark {E. macrorhynca) alter- 

 nating with the delicate blue of the Red Box {E. folyanthema). 

 On the Blanket Hill we found the rare Goodenia macmillani, 

 which has a purple corolla, unusual in the genus. A pair of 

 Cockatoos screamed over our heads, but did not give a chance 

 of a shot. In a swamp at the foot of the hill a bittern suffered 

 at Dr. Dendy's hands, but though he waded till our leader showed 

 restless (for he wanted to push on), it was in vain, and the doctor 

 remounted looking damp as to the legs. We continued to skirt the 

 left bank of the river, the track narrower but still good and well 

 worn. 



At 1.30 p.m. we made our first ford of the Macallister River, 

 2 1 miles from Heyfield. Here we camped for lunch, and the 

 unaccustomed exercise began to show its effects very markedly 

 on some of us. At this bend of the Macallister is the only un- 

 avoidable ford between Heyfield and Glen Falloch, and it seems a 

 great pity that the authorities do not build a bridge here. When the 

 river is high with rains it is a serious matter getting across. Here 

 we met Mr. William Riggall riding down from Glen Falloch, and 

 his was the last outsider's face we were to see for a week. After 

 lunch we pushed on, keeping near the river, our leader jogging 

 ahead, anxious to bring us to the lake in good time. 



At Hickey's Creek we left the river, which here comes from a 

 considerable westward bend, and shortly after entered upon a 

 southward projecting tongue of the Upper Devonian. This for- 

 mation constitutes the whole of the district of the Upper Mac- 

 allister and the Wellington rivers, including Mounts Crinoline, 

 Tamboritha, and Wellington. It sends southward, on the west, 

 the tongue to Glen Falloch and Hickty's Creek, and on the east 

 a much broader stretch of country, comprising the Avon valley 

 with Mount Angus and Ben Cruachan. These summits, with 

 Mount Useful to the east, formed the most conspicuous land- 



